Atlanta Falcons Cut Turner, Abraham to Get Under NFL Salary Cap

March 1 (Bloomberg) -- The Atlanta Falcons cut Michael
Turner, John Abraham and Dunta Robinson, shedding 31 seasons of
combined National Football League experience as the team works
to get under the salary cap by the March 12 deadline.

The cuts will save the Falcons $15.9 million, including
$6.4 million for Turner, $5.75 million for Abraham and $3.75
million for Robinson, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The NFL’s limit on teams’ player payrolls will rise to $123
million from $120.6 million, the Associated Press reported
yesterday. All 32 teams must be under the cap by the deadline.

“As a football coach it is never easy to cut any player,
especially veteran players who have been valuable members of the
organization,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said in a statement on
the team’s website.

The Falcons went 13-3 last season, the best record in the
National Football Conference. They lost to the San Francisco
49ers 28-24 in the conference championship game.

Turner’s 800 yards rushing last season was his lowest total
since joining the Falcons in 2008, when he ran for 1,699 yards
and 17 touchdowns. The 31-year-old had 10 rushing scores in
2012. Having played his first four seasons with the San Diego
Chargers, Turner’s 7,338 career rushing yards rank 51st in NFL
history.

Abraham, 34, is 13th on the NFL’s all-time sacks list with
122, the most of any active player. A first-team All-Pro in 2001
and 2010, Abraham had 10 sacks last season. He was drafted 13th
overall by the New York Jets in 2000 and was traded to Atlanta
in 2006.

Robinson was with the Falcons for three seasons after
playing his first six for the Houston Texans. The 30-year-old
has 17 career interceptions, including one last season.